


Anticipation

by Thistlerose



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, Phobias, Post-Canon, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 22:32:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1758611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thistlerose/pseuds/Thistlerose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written in 2005.  Two trigger-happy people start pushing each other's buttons.  What could go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anticipation

"Well," Dorothy said, "that was a rousing success."

Wufei looked at her. "I can never tell what you're thinking by the tone of your voice. Or by the look on your face," he added when she smiled. "You seem pleased, but for all I know, I might have missed some key point and we could be on the brink of war with Colony XY-8123."

Dorothy cocked her head. "Why wouldn't that please me?"

Wufei growled, which only made her laugh. A moment later, Heero Yuy's voice crackled over the comm:

"The Minister's craft is away."

There was another brief burst of static, and then the comm went dead.

"Good," Wufei said. "Now we can go home."

Dorothy began to pace the conference room, her long pale hair swaying against her back. "Do you suppose," she wondered aloud, "that he calls her 'Minister' when they're in bed?"

Wufei blinked. "You're suggesting they're sleeping together?"

"I'm suggesting that they're fucking."

She still had her back to him, so she didn't see him wince at the word. He couldn't help it. It was a crude word, and the people who had raised and trained him had instilled in him that belief that such vulgarities were beneath him. Not that he didn't use it on occasion. Or do it.

Dorothy swung back to face him. "You haven't told me what you thought of the meeting."

"You haven't asked. You thought it was a rousing success."

"I said I thought that it was a rousing success. But what I say and what I believe are not necessarily the same thing."

Wufei nearly swore. She was infuriating, this woman! The only thing she seemed to take seriously was toying with him. How could Colonel Une have paired them for this assignment?

Dorothy began to pace again. Her boot heels clacked against the highly polished floor. "I think," she said, "that the colonists will behave themselves for a little while. Then they'll start up again. The ambassador seemed just a little disgruntled when he left."

"So, you don't think it was a rousing success?"

"Well…" Dorothy seemed to consider. "It was a show of strength on Miss Relena's part. The ambassador made his demands. She made a few allowances, but put her foot down on others. It wasn't that she did it. It was the way in which she did it. She's terribly clever. Everything he took away seemed like a gift, rather than a concession. The next time there's an uprising, I think she may be very harsh."

"If there's another uprising."

"Well, yes."

Wufei took his knife from his pocket and used it to cut free one of the pink balloons that was tied to the back of a chair.

"How adorable," observed Dorothy.

Wufei ignored her.

"What are you going to do?" she inquired.

Wufei reeled the balloon toward him. He brandished his knife.

"Oh."

Something in Dorothy's tone made him pause. He glanced at her.

She was standing perfectly still, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands flat against her thighs. She looked almost…

The word frightened flitted through Wufei's brain, but he dismissed it. Dorothy Catalonia? Frightened of a balloon? The galaxy would achieve true peace before he found anything that could frighten this woman, he thought.

Still…

Dorothy opened her mouth. "Ah…"

"What?" he demanded. "Nothing happened during the meeting. Frankly, it was pretty boring. I'm owed some noise." Watching her face, he brought his knife close to the balloon.

"Don't!" Dorothy twisted her fingers and looked at him helplessly. "Just— I hate—"

"You're playing with me, aren't you?"

"No!" She sounded desperate.

"You really expect me to believe that the popping of a balloon makes you uncomfortable."

"The anticipation makes me uncomfortable," Dorothy confessed.

"You are playing with me."

She tossed her hair. "You can believe that if you like."

"I do." Wufei jabbed his knife at the balloon. It popped.

Dorothy shrieked.

Wufei smirked. "You're going to have some trouble convincing me that that wasn't an act." He reached for another balloon.

"Now you're being cruel."

"I believe it's called sinking to your level." He popped the second balloon. No shriek this time, but she did gasp sharply.

And she yanked her gun from its holster.

Startled, Wufei put his hands in the air. "I begin to suspect," he said slowly, "that Une may not be on our side. Why else would she order us to guard her precious Minister?"

"I'm not going to shoot you."

"That's comforting."

Dorothy flushed. "I just wanted you to stop."

"You've effectively stopped me. Put the gun down."

"Drop your knife."

He did.

She slipped her gun back into its holster.

"I just hate…" she began.

Wufei regarded her. She was truly rattled. It was empowering and oddly endearing. So, she wasn't made entirely of ice. Good, he thought. You could work with human beings, not ice sculptures.

"Come on," he heard himself say. "I think we need drinks."

"That was unexpected." She'd recovered most of her composure.

"You don't like anticipation. You just like it when things…happen."

"Yes," said Dorothy.

"Good. Let's get some drinks and see what happens."

"Better put the artillery away first," she said with a faint smile.

"Good idea."

10/02/05


End file.
